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Tuesday, 1 February 2011

Here are some more photographs of the Dan Attoe neon's that I installed last week for The Shape We're In exhibition, organised and curated by the Zabludowicz Collection, at 56-58 Leather Lane, London EC1N.

Across the country, local councils, with help from landlords, artists and community arts projects have been using empty shops and office spaces as temporary exhibition space for a wide variety art works and arts projects. A Camden Council-led initiative currently encourages the occupation of unused properties in the borough, to act as a revitalising presence in economically depressed areas of the city.

Initially funded by grants from The Arts Council of England as a response to the effect of the recession on the arts, Art in Empty Spaces has already transformed many empty and disused retail spaces across the whole of the U.K. into a variety of creative spaces from pop up galleries to theatre and music venues. The funding was intended to enable artists to connect their work with a wider audience of people in new and imaginative ways.

Although funding from the Arts Council has now stopped they have set the wheels in motion and the role the arts can play in economic regeneration can already be seen across the country, where the innovative use of empty shops is already helping to prevent high street decline. To see the effects for yourself visit Leather Lane, London EC1N and remember "You have more freedom than you're using".